Partner with the Walker College

Tap into the business know-how of thought leaders and PhD faculty members, become a partner in cutting edge innovation and research, and gain access to top student talent. When you or your organization partner with Appalachian's Walker College of Business, we will help you meet your business goals.

Develop and Engage Your Employees

Housed in the Walker College's Office of the Dean for Graduate Programs and Research and guided by our professional education administration, the Professional Education program is closely aligned with the college's mission to deliver transformational educational experiences that prepare and inspire individuals to be ethical, innovative and engaged business leaders. Program faculty, including PhD experts in the fields of Accounting, Economics, Finance, Supply Chain Management, Human Resource Management and Industrial-Organizational Psychology, deliver content in customizable formats, tailored to your organization's needs.

Request Evaluation of Business Operations

Walker College faculty members from all disciplines seek to develop and relationships with companies that need support evaluating and/or improving operations. Faculty members can provide needs analysis to organizations, and teams of students working with faculty members for course credit can work on specific business challenges or opportunities, provide valuable research and data, and help identify solutions to support our industry partners. Projects are on-going in a variety of fields, and more courses are added as opportunities are presented. Please inquire, wcob@appstate.edu.

One example of how Appalachian business students are working on real business solutions is the Impact Clinic, which pairs student teams with businesses to measure and manage their environmental and societal impacts. Modeled on B-Corp Certification goals, the Appalachian Impact Clinic was developed by Tammy Kowalczyk, a professor of accounting in the Walker College, with an aim to further socially responsible business practices. The clinic evaluates how business operations impact owners/investors, consumers, employees, the local community, and the natural environment to improve their triple bottom line. The benefits to a company that aspires to become a “business for good” include increasing share of socially-conscious customer base, greater opportunity for attracting employees and investors aligned with values, and managing risks associated with more responsible sourcing in supply chains. Interested businesses should realize the benefit of assessing environmental and societal impacts to better balance purpose and profit. Contact Tammy Kowalczyk, kowalczykt@appstate.edu, (828) 262-6226.

Join an Advisory Board

The college houses multiple mentoring programs and eight college and program-level advisory councils, including the Business Advisory Council. Advisory groups are composed of business leaders who meet regularly to advise Walker College administrators on matters relating to the needs of the business community. The businesses represented by the members are diverse and include major accounting, manufacturing, banking, insurance, law, financial, advertising, retail, management consulting and health care firms. Advisory councils allow students to interact with current and retired leaders from local, regional, national and international businesses.

Hire Appalachian Students

The Walker College provides opportunities for employers to connect and engage with business students at Appalachian. Recruiters are invited to develop a hiring relationship with the Walker College through our Business Career Services Office in the BB&T Student Leadership Center. The university utilizes Handshake as its online career services portal, providing access to job and internship postings and connecting current students and alumni with potential employers. Students and alumni utilize Handshake to search for job and internship opportunities and discover companies that are on-campus for events. Register for a Handshake account, sign into your account or post a job today.

Career Fairs

The college hosts multiple career fairs, especially designed for business majors, on site each year. The signature fair, Walker Business Connections, consists of practice interview sessions, track-specific workshops around current industry trends and corporate information tables. The college also hosts a graduate programs career fair, and the university provides additional on-campus recruiting opportunities, including the semi-annual CareerFest.

Take on an Intern

Appalachian business students are highly encouraged (and depending on the program, sometimes required) to complete an internship while in the Walker College. For our students, internships are valuable, relevant experiences that can help them determine a career path. For employers, internships can provide needed support, new perspectives and connected resources for a short period of time. Contact Veronica Lozano-Toub, lozanotoubvm@appstate.edu for general information, or, view a complete list of faculty internship directors online.